The Guardians
by monkeygirl77
Summary: The Angels have always been fine tuned to care for and guide the children of earth and they take their job very seriously. Its not common for the higher ups to take charges, but in the special circumstances, the Archangels do take over. These are their stories
1. Chapter 1

We meet Gemma first. Only thirteen and harboring a dark secret. She's tried to tell but no one believed her, so her silence fell over her like a thick blanket. She comes across a stranger who makes her feel safer then she has in a long time. Meanwhile, Gabriel is in the neighborhood. He's got a younger sibling who has passed over guardianship to him and he needs to dish out some well deserved justice at the same time. Notes: **POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING*****BE WARNED**  
**This story does take some dark turns and covers some dark shit. Though none of it is directly mentioned it is eluded to and mentioned in passing fashion. If you think you may be triggered at this please push the back button now. I don't want to get anyone in a bad place or cause anything to happen. So if you feel like you cant read this or will be triggered this is your warning, please turn back, I want you all to be safe. For those of you who won't and journey forth, I hope you enjoy! Love you! 3**

**(See the end of the work for ****more notes****.)**

Work Text:

* * *

__Can you hold me—NF (include link to track)__

__Can you hold me?__

__Can you hold me?__

__Can you hold me in your arms?__

* * *

He tightened his grip around her, feeling her tears soak into his t-shirt, and tried to give her as much comfort as he could. She clutched onto the back of his shirt so tightly that he vaguely heard her knuckles pop.

They'd met in an alley, he'd been walking on his merry way from his last 'job' suckling on the lollipop he snapped into existence for himself, not having a care in the universe as he bounced along. A job well done if he ever saw one, that man would remember this before he touched any of his stepchildren again, that he swore.

Those types were the worst in his opinion, they were meant to be the one that the kiddos could trust, who they could go to when the world got a bit too dark for them, and here this man was tainting something that was supposed to be beautiful and wonderous. Three children, two below the age of ten, not yet to his liking just yet, but his oldest stepchild was within that specific age group. He'd seen what the man did, what he liked to do in the middle of the night while his wife slept next to him in the bed, how he snuck from their bed under the guise of using the restroom and sneak into his stepdaughters room down the hall. He couldn't watch anymore from there, and he'd left in a flutter of golden feathers, vowing to come back when the moment was exactly in the right timeframe.

His business went under, an investigation from a random tax fraud, and the feds may or may not have found some illicit pictures saved to the hard drive of his computer, oh how he'd plea his case to them _"___I don't know where those came from!" __and the classic _"___Someone must have planted them! Someone is out to get me!"__ and the questioning would be long and intensive from that point. His reputation would be in ruins and he'd be put onto a registry for sex offenders and that was the least of his problems, he'd be facing some hard jail time for this one. His family would be in shatters though, that part he was not too happy about, the children would be questioned too, with more tenderness then their stepfather was, but all the same. They'd be scarred for life. The girl would confess to everything, tears streaming down her face no doubt, and her mother would sob with her knowing that she should have noticed something and _'___How could I have been so blind!'__, the mother was not as bad but her blindness would cost her daughter her innocence. Forever she would have to live with the pain and memories. Gone would be her childlike trust. Gone was her childlike innocence. Forever she would be waiting for it to come back around to her.

That was not one of the parts he liked about dishing out a little bit of his Archangel of Justice duty.

Hurting the little'uns.

He turned around the corner, his mood somewhat damped to something a bit more somber, he had no regrets for what he'd done but he did regret the position the family would be left in.

Her sniffles echoed in the soft alley, and he stopped mid step, sucker falling from his mouth at the slight opening of surprise and it disappeared before it could hit the ground with a clatter. He would recognize her anywhere, in any lighting, and he felt a sudden bout of sadness come over him. It was a school day, and she should be at school, her backpack crumpled beside her leaning against the same brick wall that she did. Her knees were pulled up against her chest and she hid her face in her crossed arms. Though he couldn't see them, the tears were still rolling down her face, leaving her eyes bloodshot and her face glistening a slight redness. He knew her anywhere; her once bright blue eyes now watery and blemished with the redness left over from her tears, the dark hair that she wore on a bun atop her head (now left to fall dully over her face), her pale face that made her eyes almost shine against it. She had once been an athlete, from what he's heard from his siblings who he saw so far and in between that it left him wondering if they refrained from spilling his secret in fear that he would disappear again.

And they knew he could.

She used to play on her school softball team, was once the goalie on the soccer team, her dreams crushed by the cruel hand of a man she was under the impression that she could trust. How nice he had been at first, and the closer him and her mom got, the nicer he seemed to become; giving her gifts and random hugs through the day. It was nice if a bit too touchy for the teenager she was quickly becoming.

And then they got married, and a month after the honeymoon he snuck into her room for the first time, to add salt to this raw wound her mom hadn't believed her when she tried to tell her.

She didn't say anything beyond that point.

And that's when he had taken over for his younger brother.

Cautious as to not spook her he stepped forward, making sure his footsteps were heard as to not make her start with fear of someone coming, not to kick start that paranoia that she would live with now. Her eyes peeked up at him from under her dark hair, blue peeking out of a sea of darkness. He tried to smile as kindly as he could and knelt before her.

"This isn't really a cool place to hang out is it?"

She stared at him, not willing to say a word and that wasn't something he could fault her for, her silence had been her greatest strength for a long time.

"Is it okay to hold my hand out?"

The young girl blinked at him, not seeming to expect the question that came from him, she'd been around a lot of people and they all kept touching her despite her silent protest; always with the hands on her shoulders and the fingers brushing over the back of her hands in the strange lit rooms while they asked her again and again to explain what happened with her mother sobbing in the seat next to her as though she was the one who had been hurt.

She nodded and he smiled again, holding out his hand for her, and she eyed it warily for a long moment.

"It's okay, I don't mean you any hard, I just want to help you up from your bundle here.", her eyes flit back up to his, blue meeting soft gold, and she reached out silently for his hand. Slim fingers curled around his and he stood slowly as she let herself be pulled up. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze in comfort, little that would change the everlasting damage she would live with, but even the smallest gestures can have the biggest impact. She bent slightly to pick up her backpack, clutching at his hand as she did, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Want to get some lunch?"

Surely it was lunch hour at her school, it was around noon for them, and there was a little diner just around the corner there. A small family owned joint, likely no one in there to recognize her from the tabloid photos that had been posted without consent but having no fight from an attorney they couldn't afford for them to fight against it.

She nodded slightly, feeling her stomach rumble slightly, and they walked hand in hand out of the alley and in silence down the street a few steps to the mom and pop joint. He held the door open for her and she stepped forward shyly, still refusing to let go of his hand.

They sat in a booth in the farthest corner of the diner, he let her choose where they sat, and the little old lady gave them their menus with a smile and left them to look for what they wanted _'___Just holler for me.' __and it was a bit difficult to flip through the thing with one hand, but he wasn't about to tell her to let go if she felt comfortable enough to grab onto someone as someone would a life line. He could feel her eyes. She was staring, there was something about him she thought to herself, that made her feel safer than she felt even in the police department. She wasn't sure what it was about him, she hardly trusted her own mother now, but she felt as though she could trust him.

And so, she broke her silence.

"Who are you?"

He looked at her from over his menu, his eyes sparkling almost unnaturally in the soft lighting of the diner they resided in and met her gaze.

"Who are __you__?"

Despite herself, she smiled a bit at the question thrown back at her, and she ducked to try and hide it with her hair.

But he saw it, she knew he did, by the way his menu lowered slightly.

"Gemma. My names Gemma."

"Nice to meet you Gemma.", he shook their interlocked hands slightly, "My name is Gabriel."

She, Gemma, blinked again. Her real dad, the one she had loved with all her heart and protected her from everything and anything, had been raised as a catholic. He took them to Sunday school every week and read them the bible before bed and prayed to the angels and the saints every night before he went to sleep.

He told her that everyone had a predestined plan even until he took his last breath.

She missed him a lot.

"Gabriel….?", his menu lowered again, his eyes wide in disbelief, smile widening slightly at her unbelievable understanding, "As in the Archangel?"

"Got it in one sweetheart. Archangel of Justice and children at your service."

Her mouth dropped in her own disbelief, "But...But angels aren—"

"Real?", the menu was discarded completely, "Oh we very much are. We're all over the place. In the most unlikely of places.", Gemma stared at him, and though the rational part of her wanted to deny this with every fiber of her being, there was the other side, the side that her dad had nurtured and helped grow that told her that he was telling her the truth. That it was the reason she felt so much safer around him, why she trusted him when she couldn't even manage to trust her own family. He smiled at her and fell silent as the old waitress was flagged down and he ordered for the both of them, they ate in silence, and it was becoming a bit unnerving to have her staring at him like she was but after all she'd been through he'd let her stare for as long as she wanted.

"Where were you."

Sandwich forgotten, Gemma tightened her grip on his fingers, despite her disbelief she didn't want to let him go, in fear that he would disappear, and she'd be alone again. No one could get passed her barriers and not for lack of trying.

It wasn't a question though.

"Why didn't you stop him?"

Gabriel looked up at her and his eyes were so much sadder, as if they showed how much he was hurting, like she was.

"I wanted to sweetheart, I really did, but we can't interfere. This is breaking all sorts of roles. I wasn't even your Guardian back then, I was there to dish out justice for that monster, and I couldn't do anything with you until I took over."

She frowned in confusion, "Guardian? Took over? What?"

He squeezed her fingers back just as she did a moment ago.

"Your Guardian Angel kiddo, congrats, its an Archangel. And yes, took over, I wasn't your original Guardian, us Archangels don't usually take charges but only in certain circumstances, and it's not that she wasn't good at her job, she truly was, she had saved you from some of the darkest desires your demon had, but it got to the point where she didn't know if she could stay him much longer.", he refused to call that man her father, absolutely refused, his own may be absentee for a bit intermittently but not even He would take it this far. He damned people for lesser deeds, this was one He took into much consideration, it was one of the few things that He and Lucifer agreed on when it came to the matter at hand. "She came to me personally. Begged for help. And then I took over. That night he was coming to you and he tripped over your brothers' truck and fell down the stairs?"

Her eyes widened, "He broke his leg and couldn't walk for over a month. That was you?"

"Guilty as charged. I could protect you and dish out to him at the same time.", she giggled softly and he smiled at the sound, "Got to admit, I became rather inventive with him.", they finished their lunch from there in silence, and he threw a few bills down on the table to cover their meal and leave a hardy tip for the nice elder who had taken care of them. They stepped out of the diner and she shied away from the passersby paranoid that they were staring at her, the girl that had been mo-, she wasn't even going to think about it.

"Can I hug you?"

His question caught her off guard again, he was the only one who asked if he could before touching her, not even her mom asked. Her brothers she couldn't fault because they were too young to understand what had happened, but her mom knew better. She was trying to make up for it now, but she couldn't. The damage to their relationship had already been done, and that rift was a deep one, there wasn't much she was willing to salvage.

Gemma nodded slightly, hair falling into her face once more, hiding her from the world around her. Out of sight out of mind, right?

Gabriel curled his arm around her shoulders, their locked hands dangling from the other side, and he held her gently against his side.

"I'm right here, little one, I'm not going anywhere."

Her free hand clung to the back of his jacket and she turned her face slightly into her shoulder she was smooshed under, he smelled like pine and peppermint and it reminded her of Christmases in the past with her mom and dad. It had been her favorite holiday until daddy had gotten sick.

"Can I…"

"You want to come with me?", he looked down at her slightly, "I got a place just around that far bend there.", a small safe house. With one bed and a small kitchenette and combined living room. Nothing to elaborate, just a small hidey hole in case of an emergency, it had his pup and a flat screen and those were the only real prize pieces at this one. It had a beautiful view though, and the sight of the sun setting over the sound was breath taking, a penthouse view without the fanciness of a penthouse.

Gemma nodded again into his shoulder, and though he could hardly deny any of his charges, he knew he couldn't to her especially. If there was one regret in this whole thing, outside of the harm this had caused to her and her young brothers, was that he had not been able to take over sooner. Saraquel had taken good care of her charge, she guided her since she was just a newborn and had been there through everything, even the loss of her real dad. But he wished she had handed over guardianship sooner.

He gave a soft nod in acknowledgement and turned them down the street in that direction. They walked in silence, and she stayed smooshed into his side, her fingers squeezing his. Even when he reached for his keys to unlock the door, it would be so much easier to just will his way in, but he had to maintain the image as a normal everyday joe and let her step inside before him. Buster came to greet them with happy barking, running at the full speed his little legs could carry him at. She backed into him slightly at his sudden appearance and he touched her shoulder lightly, "It's alright. This is Buster."

"You have a dog?"

"Well duh, who doesn't like dogs?"

She giggled softly again and knelt before him, Gabriel watched as she held her hand out hesitantly, and as Buster smelled her fingers and gave them a greeting lick.

He was a good doggo.

Buster yapped happily at the new attention and bounced over to the couch, his throne of all thrones, and yapped for his new friend to follow. Gabriel smiled at his favorite animal, and directed her in that direction, "Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I make us to cocoa or something.", for a mid-fall day it was a perfect way to end into the late afternoon and into the early evening. She was hesitant to let go of his hand and he gave her fingers a squeeze for good measure, "I promise I'll be right back.", she nodded just as hesitantly and let go of his fingers to walk over to the couch, he watched her for a moment, until her backpack hit the floor, and turned into the kitchenette. Peering up every now and then to watch her carefully. She was a pent-up ball of emotion, a damaged doll, waiting for the perfect moment to herself open to the pain and all herself to receive the comfort.

She was damaged but not broken.

Gemma's soul was so bright, she was going to surpass this in so many ways, become a wonderful young lady and someday be an amazing mom. This tragedy would forever shape her, but it would never become her. He knew this for fact.

He watched in concern, filling the mugs he'd produced from somewhere with the packets of cocoa mix, as his little charge curled in on herself, that dam so close to breaking now, and she curled herself to hide in her arms again.

It wouldn't be defined by it, that he knew, but there was still much to overcome before she could get passed it.

Her shoulders shook and a tear slipped from her chin and splashed onto her knee. He left the mugs where they sit, stepping around the counter softly, patting his leg slightly so she knew he was coming, and once again he knelt in front of her.

"Oh sweetie.", he wanted to make her feel better but didn't want her to shy away at the same time, he didn't want to startle her, "Can I hug you again?", Gemma nodded into her hands and he did, taking the opportunity that was given to him. He buried her in his embrace, as if trying to hide her from the outside world, and slowly her hands turned from covering her eyes to clutching at the front of his shirt. Gabriel pressed one of his hands tenderly to the back of her head and she buried herself closer, slowly unfolding herself to fold around him instead, and he held her tighter while cradling the back of her head.

"Oh, little one.", he whispered down to her, her soft sobs making his grace hurt from the sound of them, if they were manifested in the physical world he would wrap her up in them, hide her away from everything and anything until she was ready to come back out to face life. "I'm so sorry. So so sorry.", her small arms slowly worked their way around his chest, clutching at the sides of his shirt, her arms weren't long enough to reach his back completely, but she sure tried as she pressed herself closer. Gabriel turned slightly, resting his cheek against her soft head, rubbing his hand over her upper back slowly, "I'm so sorry little one."

She sobbed like she never had before. Harder than when her mom had yelled at her for lying. Harder than she had in the interrogation room as they questioned her as if she was the one who had committed the crime and he was the victim. Harder than when she was asked to show the doctor and nurses where he had done it, what he had done, where she'd been touched and with what. Harder than when his defense attorney had made her look like she wanted it, her shirts were too tight and her shorts a little too short, she had asked him for it without having said anything, and though the jury and the judge had come back with a guilty verdict she'd still cried into her hands as she was led out of the courtroom.

Harder then when he found her in the alley way cutting school.

Gemma clung to her guardian as if he was the only stable thing in her life right now, and he was, he was warm and solid and there, and he didn't push her away or try too hard. He moved slow, at her pace, and always asked before he touched her. Mom had been like that, not the same, but there with her, at first. But then she went back to work and left her alone. She worked late nights and left her alone at night to lay awake and stare at her ceiling listening to every slight creak that came from somewhere in the house and her heart start to pound in terror that he had somehow gotten out to get back to her.

They sat there on the floor, him kneeling before her, and she practically on top of him. Letting her sob her heart out into his chest as he whispered to her as if she meant the world to him. Somewhere in her mind, in that dark corner that was getting exponentially bigger, she heard a voice that sounded like the one that haunted her dreams since she was ten years old telling her that she didn't deserve this comfort. That she was dirty, a dirty filthy liar, and he would leave too as soon as he saw that like everyone else did. He would leave her just like her mom had, all alone to the shadows that danced around her, like her dad did, to fend for herself in a cruel world.

But Gabriel was there, he was solid, and he still smelled like pine trees and peppermint, and his arms held her tightly and he let her bury herself into him instead of burying into herself, and he didn't tell her to calm down when she cried.

Not like mom did.

Mom loved her, she knows she does, sometimes though she doesn't think her mom knows how to show it.

He tightened his grip around her, feeling her tears soak into his t-shirt, and tried to give her as much comfort as he could. She clutched onto the back of his shirt so tightly that he vaguely heard her knuckles pop.

"Oh sweetheart.", his voice rumbled under her ear as she turned for a breath, her eyes hurting from the wrenching sobs she had cried, breathing quickly to refill her lungs from the time they couldn't quite get it to their liking, "I'm right here. You're safe here. It's going to be okay. I'm right here, little one."

"…Sorry…."

"Don't be. Not ever. You cry if you need to. Be angry. Be silent. Do whatever you need to but never apologize."

The hand cradling the back of her head moved slightly, "Is it okay if I touch your face?", she nodded mutely and a warm thumb rubbed away the remaining tears with a gentle stroke, "It's going to be okay. I'm not going anywhere. Not until you tell me to." she smiled, a small watery sad smile and turned her face back into his chest slightly, "Please don't let go?"

"Never. Not until you say."

Gemma nodded into his chest, letting her breathing calm down, and her lungs stop aching from lack of oxygen, and she let one hand go from his shirt to rub at her eyes. He held her just as tight as he had for the entire time, just as close, "Do you want to move to the couch?", she nodded and they stood, still in their same position, and took a seat gingerly. He settled into the opposite corner and she settled against his chest, the feeling of his hand stroking the back of her head was comforting, and she told that little voice in her head to shut-up and took all the comfort from the small gestures that she could.

They laid like that for forever, her brothers were staying at Aunt Rita's and mom was working a double shift and wouldn't be back until the following day and she didn't want to go back to an empty dark house to be left to her fear and paranoia.

Not again.

"Can I…?"

"Stay as long as you need sweetie. I'm yours for as long as you need and after. I can even slow down time if you need me to. I'd do anything for you.", he waited a moment, "Within reason obviously. No cheating at school and all that.", she smiled again, a bit brighter than the first one, at the slight hint of humor. His voice rumbling under her ear and his grip never wavering.

"What should we do? You need something to drink? A blanket? Want to watch a movie?"

Though they both knew what happened, and it wasn't avoiding it, but the first step to healing passed it was slowly moving away from it. It would never go away, it would always be a part of her now, but she could learn to live from this moment. Get her life back into her own hands.

Gemma nodded slightly, "Can we watch a movie?"

"Of course, whatcha wanna see?"

She thought for a moment, her dads favorite movie had always been, "Finding Nemo."

"You got it munchkin."

He snapped his fingers and the flat screen came to life, the scene opening to the drop off, Marlin naming his many children and she cuddled closer.

"Can you hold me too?"

The arms tightened around her even more, pressing her closer, and fingers tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Always."

* * *

__Just wrap me in your arms, in your arms__

__I don't wanna be nowhere else__

__Take me from the dark, from the dark__

__I ain't gonna make it myself__

__Put your arms around me__

__Put your arms around me__

__Let your love surround me__

__I am lost__

__I am lost__

_…_

Notes: **I apologize to everyone for this sensitive topic. It comes from some personal experience, and though she seems to warm up to Gabe pretty fast do take into consideration everyone reacts differently. In personal experience it was my mother, and my dad was my rock, he was my Gabe in this. This is based a true event just without name dropping. Things are better and we're continuing to get better everyday. Thank you loves!** **The Song Is 'Can You Hold Me' by NF.**  
**link: watch?v=it32D88FlTQ**


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Thank you to everyone who gave all their feedback! I know these are some sensitive subjects, and I'm slow at updating, this ones particularly slow because they're semi based on real life events and it takes sometime to get them out on paper, obviously names have been changed, but I use writing as my outlet to get out what I can't get out in verbal words. So I thank each and everyone of you for being friends and being so supportive, I love each and everyone of you, and always will. _**

**_Reviews: _**

**_Pitch'snieceanddaughterofMew: Thank you so much! I'm blessed that you liked it! _**

**_Ashazara: Thank you so much! Chapters may be slow in coming, but there will surely be more!_**

**_Guest: Thank you so much for your beautiful words. I was hoping I got the story out without it being too much or too repetitive. I'm sorry for nearly bringing you to tears!_**

**_Robin0203: They really do! I wish all the ones who fall under their grasp know that they're not alone, even if it seems like it at the moment, there is always a place for them to learn from it and begin to heal. That those people don't determine the lives of everyone else out there, that not everyone is as bad as their abuser is!_**

**_…_**

_"Brother, please, I need your help."_

He stood on the edge of the pier, the only one among the vast gray, staring down at the rumbling blue that smashed against the wooden beams jetting into the water below. His fingers gripped the edge as tightly as they may, the words of the others ringing in his ears, their torments and their cruel jokes. His eyes watered, whether from the sting of the winter air wind around him or the pain he felt deep in his heart, he wasn't sure. The frigid wind bit into his exposed skin, like little daggers sticking into his cheeks and eyes, but still he stared at the tumbling waves under him.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and with a final thought to them all, the ones who had left him, he stepped forward. The wind curled around him as he fell, seemingly trying to pull him and push him at the same time, and his eyes remained closed as he splashed into the frigid water. It shocked him, hitting him like a wall of bricks, but he didn't struggle. Finally he opened his eyes, the salt burned them slightly, but was faint compared to the pain of his nerves being burned by the pure icy cold that was the water he was submerged in, and watched as the darkening gray sky slowly started to disappear from view, his vision growing fuzzy by the moment and breathing more and more shallow.

Darkness was over taking him now.

He was numb.

The light was slowly fading away.

Maybe they'd find him in the morning, maybe they never would, his parents would find the letter he left them. That is if they even came home. They worked too much and when they did see him it was only to yell at him, criticize his grades and his act, tell him he should be more like his older brother.

It had been on his mind for a while, he'd started planning months ago, for the perfect moment. When mom and dad would be leaving early the next morning for their meeting in Tokyo and his older brother would be catching his flight in for the holidays. He planned it out so well and left just as the light flicked off as they went to bed for the evening without so much as wishing him a good night and slipped out the front door without interruption.

He'd been standing on that pier for nearly an hour and no one had come to stop him. No one had cared enough to check on him. Cared enough to come looking.

Enough to worry about his changes.

He hoped they didn't find him. He didn't want them too.

He just wanted it to be over. He was so tired, tired of being compared to the great heir to the family business, tired of trying to please parents that would never be pleased, tired of trying to fit in at a school that clearly didn't want him there. He was oh so tired.

Finally, able to rest.

His eyes were starting to grow heavy, and he finally let go of the breath he'd taken, willingly allowing himself to take a deep gulp of frigid saltwater. He was being weighted down, tugged deeper and deeper until the night sky above him started fading out.

Darkness was fading in now, closing around him at the edges, and he felt himself letting go.

He's not sure what's happening, much to consumed in the reaching darkness, when a hand reaches for him from above, gliding through the freezing water as if it holds no affect. He tries to duck under it in his weakened state, but he can't move much anymore, and it snags him by the scruff of the sweatshirt he was wearing. It pulls him upward with surprising strength and he wonders if this is death reaching for him to take him away.

Away from all this pain.

He's slightly aware of being pulled upwards, up above the crashing sea, and arms curling around his midsection. He thinks it's his fading mind playing tricks on him, when he sees the booted feet under his, from where he's dangling weakly from his unnecessary savior's arms, and how they're seemingly floating above the churning waves under them. Certainly, it was a trick of his deluded mind. But the arms tighten almost painfully around his midsection and he knows that this specific pain and tightness is too real to be an illusion. He's pulled back into a warm chest, its warm and strong against his freezing back, and he's pulled upwards away from the gray waves underneath him.

And then he fades out completely and hangs limply in the strangers arms.

…

Next thing he's aware of is that he's surrounded by warmth instead of ice cold. Wool pajamas have replaced the frigid frozen clothes he was wearing the last time he was conscious. He moves his head weakly, looking down at the thick red blanket that's been curled around him, across from him on the far wall is a blazing fireplace, and he realizes that he's in a cabin somewhere. He can still hear the rolling waves so they can't be that far. He curls his fingers around the blanket and

"Leave that where it is."

Despite the immense drowsiness that he's feeling, his head snaps in the direction of the voice, and he's greeted with the sight of a tall blonde man lounging on the great chair next to the fire. He's staring at him from over a mug of steaming something and takes a slow sip as if this is a normal occurrence for him.

"Leave the blanket alone. We gotta get you warmed up."

…

He may hate the humans, but the children are still innocent, he may have some unresolved issues with his Parent and His decisions, but he won't take that frustration out on the little ones. Lucifer may be cold but he's not heartless.

So, when one of his younger sisters comes to him asking him for help, he knows he can't turn her away. Salathiel is very good at her job, and she cares for her charges as if they were her own fledglings (if angels were able to have fledglings of their own that it) but she knows when something is too far out of her range to assist. She come to him when the boy had climbed over the railing of the pier and he'd gotten there just as the kid had stepped off the ledge. There was no hesitation, he may not exactly be a complete Archangel anymore, but taking a charge was still taking a charge.

His sister had filled him in on the reasons as he yanked the young one from the freezing water, holding him close to his chest as anger built red hot within him at his new charge's treatment and by his own family no less.

Several hours had passed since he brought the boy to this secluded cabin out by the ocean. The child had slept for hours, perhaps he'd been a bit overzealous in the amount of grace he'd given him when he'd went limp in his arms, no one would dare say anything to his face about it. While the child slept through it, keeping a close eye on him, he had went out to observe the boy's family as the night hours ticked on, day coming and leaving once more, watching as the boy's parents paid his strange silence no mind and left for their trip as planned.

His clenched fists loosened slightly as he watched the elder son return home, as he sighed in resignation that his parents would not be there to celebrate the holidays with him, and he watched as the older boy (by a number of years) left his bags in the lightened entry way and beelined for the steps. His smile was enough for him to know that at least one person in this miserable household cared about his little charge. The worry that lit his eyes when he opened the door to find a made bed and an empty room, the surprise greeting completely drowned in the overshadowing panic that his dear younger brother was missing.

He flew away as the elder reached for his cell phone in his back pocket and dialed for the authorities without hesitation.

…

"Jonathon, right?"

He wasn't strong enough to lift himself very much, his muscles and bones still frigid to the core after the plunge he'd taken, but he was strong enough to lift his head to stare. The blonde man smiled at him, setting his mug aside, and stood from his leather chair.

"Don't move too much", a gentle hand pushed him back into the bed underneath him and he succumbed to laying in the warmth it offered, "You took quite the ice bath there." And sat on the edge of the bed, "Why kiddo? Why would you want to do that?"

"Who are you?"

He was not about to tell his life story to some stranger, even if they had saved him and managed to hover like a sort of alien, even if he felt like he could and not have to face any retribution or rebuke for it.

"People call me Lucifer, not my real name, though it stuck."

"You're…. You're…."

"Your guardian angel? Sure, am kiddo."

The boy, Jonathon, fell silent at that. Pondering the response he could have for that, though a part of him wanted to call it out as bogus, the other part that was still just that tad bit lucid from his untimely attempt on his own life (because there was no beating around the bush that was his intention) and his being pulled from the waves remembered hovering above them as voices conversed over his head.

The bed dipped slightly as the blonde man sat on the edge, he stared weakly as a pale hand reached out to brushed his bangs aside.

"Why would you do that, little one?"

He shrugged, looking down to the faded pattern in the quilt he was burrowed under, a deep sigh escaped the older man beside him, and he saw from the corner of his eye as he turned to look down at his hands, elbows resting on his knees, deep in thought. Jonathon didn't want to think about his reasons, he didn't want to think about those who wouldn't care that he was gone, he didn't want to think about failing to do what he had planned so hard to do.

The man, Lucifer, sighed again, turning to look at him for a long moment, now that he was closer the boy could see his ruby like eyes, they sparked a reddish color, red and blue, they were mesmerizing. They stared at each other for a moment, not sure what to say to the other, Jonathon made to move. Anything to get out of this awkward situation but he was stayed by a hand on his lower leg.

"Stay under, I can more do then before since taking over your guardianship but heating you up is not something I'm too good at unfortunately.", he smiled slightly, "I run slightly colder than most."

"Why did you save me?"

He smiled again, "Because someone saved me."

That threw him for a loop, and he stared back inquisitively, Lucifer hummed and leaned back on the bed, his fingers brushing over his foot as he did.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

He didn't want to confess his plans, his leading up to this moment, and just what he was hoping to accomplish. But on that other hand, he was warm, and this man had given him more attention in the little time that he'd been awake then his parents had given him in the entire year, he'd shown a deeper care then they ever had. Lucifer rubbed his thumb over his foot and gave him an encouraging smile.

Taking the deepest breath, he could the young boy nodded in defeat.

"Good decision kiddo", he gave him a slight shove towards the other side of the bed, "Scoot over little guy."

Jonathon had scooted over just as he was asked to, and Lucifer slid in beside him, under the covers, and pulled him close into his side. He was right, there was little warmth that came from him, now that he was out of the freezing water (seeing as anything would be warm compared to that), but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. It was being in a lukewarm bath, warm but not hot, and he tucked the blankets more tightly around him. He was warm under the blankets and like having someone solid next to him, someone he could lean on when he wasn't strong enough to hold himself up, and Lucifer said nothing on it, rubbing a hand down the side of his head.

The poor kid didn't know what it was like to have people other than an older brother who he saw a few times a year to care for him enough to ask if he was okay. All of this could have been avoided had they actually cared for the child that they had decided to bring into this world.

If they wouldn't then he would.

"You want me to go first, or you wanna spill first, all up to you."

Jonathon nodded against his shoulder, "You.", and his new older friend nodded in understanding. They scooted down further, and he stoked the fireplace with a wave of his hand, and they settled in as if they were sharing a nice story on a cold winters night and the boy hadn't just been saved from doing something he was going to regret later in life (Lucifer was sure of it).

"Where to start?"

"Why?"

Lucifer nodded, following the boys lead, "I was tired. Just oh so tired. I do believe you know what that feels like. I was painted into being someone evil, someone who didn't deserve being saved, until someone decided to try. I tried to tear my own grace out."

The boy tilted his head upwards, "Grace?"

"What you would call an angels soul."

"Who stopped you.

"The one who was meant to kill me. My older brother Michael found me. He talked me down. I can never go home but I quite enjoy being on Earth and he visits often. He wanted to come get you but thought I was better suited."

Jonathon nodded, he understood where he was coming from, being so tired that even opening your eyes was a trying task. That getting up for the day was a battle that wasn't always won. That sometimes the dark dog came to visit, and you couldn't do anything but try to entertain him. It was a rainy day that always blocked out the sun.

"I wanted to be done, go wherever it is we go when we do die, and my brother Azrael had unwillingly agreed to take me if that was what I chose."

He fell silent, there wasn't much to tell other than that, he wanted nothing more than to let himself fade.

"What about you?"

Jonathon shrugged, "No, that wasn't the deal.", and he sucked in a breath, "Name one person who would miss me."

There was silence for a moment, and he was beginning to believe that even his guardian angel was going to agree that no one cared whether or not he was still alive or not.

"I would miss you."

He turned to look up at him, eyes wide in surprise, and Lucifer was staring right back with more seriousness he'd ever seen in an adult.

"I'd really miss you."

His eyes welled with tears, one person who would miss him, it was enough to make that little dam inside of him start to crack.

"You would be missed. Please don't leave me."


End file.
